PUK Official: PUK has Always Been Defender of Halabja Rights

P.U.K 06:51 PM - 2025-04-15

Latif Nerwayi, head of PUK Media Board.

The recent visit of Bafel Jalal Talabani, President of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), played a major role in the passage of the Halabja Provincialisation Bill by the Iraqi Parliament, confirmed a member of the PUK Leadership Council, who also stated that the PUK has always been a defender of the rights of Halabja and its people, throughout various stages.

The PUK is a protector of the rights of the people of Halabja

Latif Nerwayi, a member of the PUK Leadership Council and head of the PUK Media Board, said in an interview with GK TV: "The PUK has always been a defender and protector of the rights of the people of Halabja. The PUK Peshmerga sacrificed themselves to defend Halabja during the mountain struggle era and later to clear it from terrorists."

He added: "The PUK later worked to establish a number of academic institutions, including universities and institutes, and worked to carry out urban and service projects throughout the province. President Bafel Jalal Talabani's recent trip to Baghdad, which was a crucial factor in the Halabja Provincialisation Bill's passage, was the result of these efforts."

He further stated: "Resolving the provincialisation of Halabja was one of the primary goals of the PUK President's trip to Baghdad. To garner support on this subject, he visited the prime minister and president as well as leaders of Iraq's Shiite and Sunni parties. Consequently, President Bafel's endeavours proved fruitful, and the bill was passed by Parliament."

"Turning Halabja into a province allows more opportunities for reconstruction and the provision of more services to the province, easing the suffering of its people and healing their wounds," he further stated. "The regional government must work to complete service projects in the province, provide job opportunities, and coordinate with the federal government to rebuild Halabja and ensure its entitlements from the federal budget."

The PUK follows President Mam Jalal's path

Regarding the upcoming visit of the Iraqi Prime Minister to Sulaymaniyah and his meeting with PUK President Bafel Jalal Talabani, Nerwayi said: "Sulaymaniyah is a crucial hub for political decision-making in the Kurdistan Region, Iraq, and the region. The PUK is a solid political force that plays a major role in achieving unity among political parties in the Region and Iraq. Therefore, no political decision will be made without the PUK and Sulaymaniyah. The PUK, following the path of President Mam Jalal, always strives to achieve unity and national harmony."

While thanking the Kurdish blocs for their unity on the issue of provincialising Halabja, Nerwayi said: "We have to express our gratitude to the Iraqi representatives and blocs who supported the Kurds on this matter and helped in passing the bill. This demonstrates that the Kurds in Baghdad make greater progress the more united they are."

The Iraqi Parliament passed the Halabja Provincialisation Bill on Monday, 14 April 2025, officially making Halabja the 19th province of Iraq.

Meanwhile, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) recognised Halabja as the fourth province of the Kurdistan Region on 13 March 2014.

Halabja province has one district, four sub-districts, including Sirwan, Khurmal, Biara and Bamo, and 166 villages.

The Halabja Provincialisation Law was in the parliament for more than a year but has been postponed because of disagreements with Arab lawmakers. The Kurdish bloc unanimously vowed to boycott parliamentary sessions until the law was passed. The move blocked the parliament from passing any other laws.

The law is a part of the efforts to compensate for the enormous sacrifices Halabja has made. 

On 16 March 1988, the fallen Ba'ath regime in Iraq bombarded the city with prohibited chemical weapons, killing over 5000 civilians, including women, children, and the elderly, while injuring thousands more, most of whom still suffer from their wounds to this day.



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